


Danger Ahead

by Sashataakheru



Series: Strange Magic [10]
Category: Electric Light Orchestra RPS
Genre: Angst, Begging, Breakups, Collars, D/s, Humiliation, Kink, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-05
Updated: 2011-04-05
Packaged: 2017-10-17 15:19:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/178228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashataakheru/pseuds/Sashataakheru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hugh can't help taking it personally when Jeff decides a string section are no longer needed and begs him to change his mind. Circa 1979.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Danger Ahead

Hugh stood there seething, the letter telling him his services were no longer required scrunched up in one hand. Jeff stood opposite him, his face expressionless. Hugh wanted to punch him, but somehow couldn't find the strength to hit his master. Hugh didn't even care if he was being watched either. He didn't care if the rest of the band knew. He didn't care what they thought of him as they watched him grovelling at the feet of his master. He wanted to tell all of Jeff's dirty little secrets and shame him for his betrayal in front of everyone, to make sure they knew what he was really like.

"Why?" Hugh asked eventually, lost for anything else to say.

Jeff tried to find an excuse that wouldn't end up with them arguing about their relationship in front of the rest of the band. "I-It's just not- look, it's nothing personal, I just - I have other ideas and I don't n-"

"Need me? What about me, Jeff? I still need you. You can't just throw me out like this. Doesn't my collar mean anything to you anymore?" Hugh said.

Jeff straightened, not keen to discuss such matters in public. "Don't bring that up now. Not here, not where everyone can hear us."

"Why not? Scared I'll tell them all about you? It's not like they don't know anyway. They know I wear your collar, that I bow at your feet in submission. Why do you think I got away with wearing my collar for so long around them? They know, and they don't care, so you might as well just get this over with because if you're going to kick me out, they might as well know why," Hugh said, determined to get his way.

"Hugh, please, don't do this now. Look, I'm sorry for hurting you, but it's not going to work anymore. I'm not going to keep you around if there's nothing for you to do," Jeff said.

Hugh closed in on Jeff and prodded a finger against his chest. "I do _everything_ for you. _Everything_. This collar, your discipline, is the one thing keeping me sane. You know what I'm like when I'm not collared, you know what'll happen, and you want to take away my lifeline? Well, fuck you, Jeff, I'll fight to the death to keep my collar because if you let me go, it'll be on your head. I need this, and if you can't understand why, even when I gave you a second chance, then you never deserved me in the first place."

Jeff fingered the collar around his neck. "It's my collar, not yours, and I can take it away if I so choose. And I choose to take it away from you. If you can't learn to cope on your own without the direction of a master, that's not my fault."

Hugh grasped his hand and met his gaze. "Look, kick me out of the band, fine, I can cope with that, but that doesn't mean I have to stop being yours, does it? I need you, master. No one else has had the effect you've had on my life. You've kept me sane. You've kept me out of trouble. Please, keep me by your side. I need you. I'm afraid of what I might do without you to say no. I know you can give me what I need."

Jeff brushed him off. "It's too complicated. I've got a kid now, things are different-" He paused. "You know I'm not doing this lightly, don't you? I didn't just wake up this morning and decide to kick you out on a whim. Look, you're still young. You've got your whole life ahead of you. You don't need to be following me around all the time."

Hugh sunk to his knees before him, gazing up at him pleadingly. "Please. I'll do anything. Let me stay with you. I'll do your gardens. I'll tidy your house. I'll keep your house so damn clean, you won't even notice I'm there, I promise. I'll do all the shit jobs, just like I did before. You won't even need to pay me, just keep me collared. I'll stay out of sight and sleep outside if it means I get to serve you. Don't abandon me, master. I need you. I'm a willing slave and I just want to be yours forever."

Jeff walked away from him. "Y'don't need me. You never have. You just can't take responsibility for your shit. Grow up, Hugh. I'm tired of looking after you as if you were a child."

Hugh stifled a laugh as he choked back his disbelief. "You don't believe that. If that's all you think my submission is about, then you've never really understood me at all. That's not what my submission is about. That's not why I submit to you. I taught you all this when we first started out together. I even told you again two years ago and I thought you'd understood it then. I gave you my life. I did everything you asked without question. I took your discipline gladly because I needed it. Fuck it, I changed because of you. And now you're kicking me out and just assuming I'm going to be okay with that? I still love you. I need you. Please don't take my collar away. I need you, I need you, I need you."

Jeff didn't look at him. He didn't want him to see the tears welling in his eyes. It's not like he wanted to kick him out, but there was no place for strings in the band anymore. Sometimes, you just had to move on, no matter how much it hurt to leave good friends behind. He took a moment to breathe before he replied.

"No, you don't need me. You aren't my sub anymore. Your contract is now void. Leave my collar behind when you go. Just-just get out of here. Get out of my sight. You don't belong to me anymore. I never want to see you again," Jeff said coldly.

Hugh bowed his head. For the first time in a very long time, he felt humiliated. Humiliated, angry and abandoned. His hair fell over his face as he wiped his tears away. Jeff had closed their argument. There was no point in pleading his case now. Defeated, he unbuckled the collar and left it on the floor, his fingers trembling as he gave up the one thing that had kept him sane. Gingerly, he got to his feet and slapped Jeff hard.

"Yeah, well don't come running to me when your missus leaves you. I know her type. Knew it when I first met her. She's bad news. She'll break your heart, she will, and leave you with nothing. Then you'll wish you'd kept me by your side to help you pick up the pieces," Hugh said as he left.

Jeff ignored him, not bothering to take up the argument again. Staring ahead out the window, Jeff tried to pretend he wasn't as hurt as he was. He hated that his bandmates had witnessed their exchange, and he wanted to run away and hide. He had never wanted them to know about his relationship with Hugh, and now, they really did know everything.

Turning back towards the door, Jeff picked up the collar off the floor and almost immediately threw it away, not wanting to see it. Bev went to comfort him, but Jeff pushed him away and left. The room felt far too oppressively empty, even though it was full of people.


End file.
